Must-see attractions in Datong

One of China’s most supreme examples of Buddhist cave art, these 5th-century caves are simply magnificent. With 51,000 ancient statues and celestial…

Housed in a contemporary building inspired by a dragon totem, this wonderful museum is chock-full of relics – religious, funereal, military, imperial and…

Yong‘an Temple at the foothills of Heng Shan (恆山) only unlocks its halls when there are visitors and for a good reason – this poised and serene 13th…

Alongside magnificently dilapidated earthen sections of the Great Wall that disappear over the top of Horsehead Hill (马头山, Mǎtóu Shān), a fabulous Gothic…

Built by the Khitan during the Liao dynasty (AD 907–1125), this 66,000-sq-metre temple faces east, not south (it’s said the Khitan were sun worshippers)…

Emblazoned with nine coiling dragons picked out in coloured glazed tiles, this is one of the finest yǐngbì (影壁) spirit walls in China (it has two…

Built precariously into the side of a cliff, the Buddhist Hanging Monastery is made all the more stunning by its long support stilts. The halls hug the…

This incredible city wall has been rebuilt from the soles up in what must be one of the most ambitious feats of engineering to hit Datong since, well,…

Built in 1056, this riveting five-storey tower is the world’s tallest (67m) and China's oldest wooden pagoda. Constructed with red pine without a single…

Datong’s old town has been extensively resurrected at colossal expense to put Datong back on the map. The former mayor ploughed a fortune into trying to…

Some 70km northeast of the city is this sleepy farming village just off the highway, set within the ruins of a bǎo (fort) that once served the Great Wall …

This working cathedral – also called the Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary – is an astonishing sight once you find it and stand before its twin…

Originally constructed in AD 713 and today standing just inside the city walls, Shanhua Temple was rebuilt during the Jin dynasty. The grand wooden…

A good place to see some raw sections of the Great Wall is Deshengbao, a 16th-century walled fort almost on the border with Inner Mongolia that is now a…

This scenic driving route, built in 2016, starts just north of Guanjiabao village (管家堡村, Guǎnjiābǎo cūn), 45km west of Datong, and runs eastwards parallel…

This cavernous museum is built within the north Wǔdìng Mén gate section of the restored city walls, with seemingly endless corridors of contemporary…

Originally built in 1392 but burned to the ground in a huge conflagration in 1644 during the last gasps of the Ming dynasty, this vast palace complex (191…

Recently restored, this mosque is a particularly quiet and tranquil place. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the Prayer Hall (朝真殿, Cháozhèn Diàn), but…

The recently restored Drum Tower sits on the central axis that runs through the north and south gates of the restored city wall. Two sets of very steep…